Improved apparatus for preparing peat



3 h L. ELSBERG. S eets Sheet 2 J Peat Machine; No. 57,489.- PatentedAug. 28, 1866.

Inventor, Wflnesses:

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. ELSBERG.

Peat Machine.

Patented Aug. 28. 1866.

Inventor Wflnesses: 7% W a 9/ 9mm AM. PHOTO-LIfHD. CD. NJ. (OSBORNE'SFRUCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ELSBERG, M. D., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREPARING PEAT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,489, dated August28,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs ELSBERG, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Machine for MannfacturingPeat; andIdohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a machine constructed accordingto my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan of the same. Fig. 3 representsa transverse section of the machine at the line 00 m of Fig. 2; andFigs. 4, 5, and 6 represent views upon a large scale of parts of themachine.

The machine which constitutes the subjectmatter of this patent isdesigned to manufacture peat into fuel by the process devised by me. Itcomprehends means of steaming the peat, of stirring or working it, ofcompressing it, and of delivering it in a compressed stateautomatically.

The first part of the invention consists of the combination of anagitator or grinding-instrument and a chamber therefor (fitted at itslower end with one or more delivery-openings) with a steam-pipe tosupply steam to the ma terial which is worked by the agitator in thechamber of the machine, so that the material may be steamed and workedas itpasses through the chamber of the machine to the deliveryopeningthereof, and the operations of working and steaming the material may beper formed continuously.

The second part of the invention consists of the combination of achamber for holding the material and a steam'pipe to supply steam to itwith a reciprocating piston-press provided with a delivery-passage forthe escape of the compressed material, and operating in such manner thatthe material compressed by one stroke of the piston or ram acts as thebed against which the material operated upon at the next succeedingstroke is compressed. This combination enables the material to besteamed and compressed by a continuous operation.

The third part of the invention consists of the combination of thesecond part of the invention with the agitator or grinding-instrumen t,so that the peat subjected to the machine may be worked, steamed,compressed, and delivered by the continuous operation of the machinewithout intermediate handling.

The fourth part of the invention consists of the combination of thepiston andpistonchamber of the press with a discharge-passage composedof sections or ajutages, a larger or smaller number of which may beused, according to the extent to which it is desired that the materialshould be compressed.

The fifth part of the invention consists of the combination of thepiston and piston-chamber of the press with a discharge-passage whoseinterior is tapering, so as to increase the resistance to the movementof the compressed material through it, thereby increasin g theresistance of the material to the movement by the piston, andconsequently increasing the force wit-h which the compression iseffected.

In the machine represented in the accompanying drawings the chamber A ofthe agitator is mounted in an upright position upon a strong bed, B,which also sustains two reciprocating piston-presses, O G, and themechanism for operating them. The upper end of this chamber is enlargedso as to form a hopper, a, into which the material to be treated can bereadily thrown. The interior of the chamber is traversed by theagitator, which is composed of a central shaft, b, and a series ofinclined blades, 0 c c, which, when the the shaft is revolved, not onlyagitate and work the material, but also force it downward toward thedelivery-apertures of the chamber. The lower end of the shaft b isfitted with a beveled wheel, D, which is driven by a beveled pinion, E,secured to a horizontal shaft, F, and this horizontal shaft is providedwith a belt-pulley, G, to which power is applied by a belt.

The chamber is encircled by two ring steam pipes, at m, ter the barrelA, so as to supply steam to the material therein. These ring steam-pipesare connected with a main, H, proceeding from a high-pressuresteam-boiler, and stop-cocks d d are inserted between the main and thering steam-pipes to enable the supply of steam to be controlled.

which have branches n it that enof the steamed material into each ofthese hoppers is regulated by a slide, 12, which may be moved to openthe delivery-aperture f more or less. Each of these piston-chambersconsists of a barrel, open at both ends, and is fitted at one end with apiston or plunger, 1, to which a reciprocating movement is imparted froma revolving shaft, J, by means of an eccentric K, eccentric ring L, androd M. Each piston-chamber isgperforated at its upper side with anopening, through which the material to be compressed is permitted topass into the chamber, and the stroke of the piston is such that duringits forward movement its end passes beyond the opening, and thus cutsoff the escape of the material that has been received in thepiston-chamber, while in its backward movement it is withdrawn frombeneath the opening to permit the material to enter. The end of thepiston-chamber farthest from the piston is open to permit the materialto be forced out by the pressure of the piston, and it is fitted with aseries of ajutages or sections, 3 s s, more or less of which can be usedto increase the length of the passage through which the compressedmaterial is forced, thereby increasing the friction that retards itsmovement and the resistance which the compressed material affords to theaction of the piston. The resistance to the passage of the material isfurther increased by making the interior of the passage tapering, sothat the area of the end farthest from the piston is less than the areaof the part nearest the piston. Hence the material, while moving throughthe delivery-passage, is compressed laterally, and, as greater force isrequired to eject it under that circumstance, the material in thedelivery-passage presents a firmer bed, against which the portionreceived into the piston-chamber is compressed by the action of thepiston.

' When the machine is in use the peat thrown into the hopper isthoroughly worked and steamed in the chamber A of the agitator b c, andis also pressed down in the chamber, and

is forced out of the delivery-apertures at the .lower end thereof.Thence it passes to, the presses G, a charge of material passing intoeach piston-chamber 10 during the backward movementofthepiston. When thepiston moves forward the charge so received is forced forward in thepiston-chamber and into the delivcry-passage w. The first charge soforced in is but slightly compressed; but as the next charge, which ispressed between the preceding charge and, the piston, is compressed withthe force required to move the preceding charge forward in thedelivery-passage, and as that passage is sufficiently long to hold anumber of compressed charges, the frictional resistance and, as the onenearest the piston forms the bed against which the last charge iscompressed, it is compressed with all the force required to move forwardthe mass in the delivery-passage.

The'resist-a-nce to the delivery, and consequentl y the force exercisedin compressing the material, may be regulated by increasing ordiminishing the number of ajutages or sections 8 s s, asfound expedient,and as the passage w is tapering, so that the material is progressivelycompressed laterally, the resistance to the movement of the compressedmassis increased and a less length of delivery-passage is required' thanwould be necessary if the passage did not taper. Moreover, the forcewhich with a longer passage of uniform size would be expended inovercoming friction is made available to increase the compression of themass.

'In practice I find it expedient to make the taper of thedelivery-passage about one-eighth of an inch to the foot in length; butthis may be varied as found expedient.

The invention embodied in the-machine thus described is not limited toany peculiar form of agitator or its chamber, although I believe thatthe forms represented in the drawings are thebest, because the agitatorand'chamber therefor represented in the drawings may be replaced by anagitator or grinder of dif ferent form or construction havin g a chamberadapted thereto, provided the members so introd uced performsubstantially the same func-v tions in the combinations as the membersthey replace and several such grinders are in com mon use. Neither isthe invention limited to any peculiar mode of imparting motion to thepistons of the presses, as a crank or other suitable means of impartinga reciprocating movement may be substituted forthe eccentric, if deemedexpedient. Nor is the invention limited to any form or construction ofsteam pipe' or boiler, all that is essential being that the steam-pipeshall be so arranged as to deliver steam to the material in the chamberof the agitator or worker, and the steam-boiler must, of course, bestrong enough to supply steam at a sufficiently high pressure to forceits way into the mass of material which is un der treatment in thechamber of the agitator or worker, or is placed in. the chamber to besteamed before it is compressed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination,in a machine, of thefol- Iowin g implements, viz: theagitator, agitatorchamber, and steam-pipe, all operatingin thecombination substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a machine, of the following implements, viz: thechamber for the material, steam-delivery pipe, and reciprocatingpiston-press, all operating in the combination substantially as setforth.

3. The combination,in-a machine, of thefollowing implements, viz: theagitator, agitatorchamber, steam-delivery pipe, and reciprocating'piston-press, all operating in the combination substantially as setforth.

4. The combination of the piston and pistonchamber of the press with adischarge-passage composed of sections, all operating in the combinationsubstantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the piston and pistonchamber of the press with adischarge-passage Whose interior is tapering, all operating in thecombination substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand this 14th day of March, A. D. 1866.

LOUIS ELSBERG. Witnesses:

JOHN MGNALLY, W. HOSCANGAY.

J. JARosLAWsKn' HENRY WEISSENBORN.

